Love is a Beautiful Thing
by trolltasm
Summary: Rin has finally found her own happiness and decides it's time her beloved Lord Sesshomaru does the same. Luckily, Rin has the help of her mother-in-law and her bemused but loving husband to ensure that, this time, Sesshomaru is going to succeed. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This idea started off as a joke but then I went and trolled myself with a fanfic idea so, well, here we are. I have no one but myself to blame. XD I trolled myself so hard that, well, I'm on this ship for Rin/Jinenji alone, haha!_

_Part one is how Rin and Jinenji get together and part two will be how they plan to get Sesshomaru and Kagome together. Just so you know what you're getting into here._

* * *

Kagome was outside, tending to Jinenji's garden, when Rin arrived. Not long after Kagome had returned from her home—a home that Rin knew was very, very far away, though _how_ far, she'd never quite figured out—she had settled in with Jinenji and his mother to learn about herbs, after she'd first learned all she could from Kaede.

Though it had been a few years now, Kagome had shown no interest in returning to the village permanently, even though she had probably learned all that she could from Jinenji over the last few years. Kagome would visit, but she seemed more at peace here and now that Rin was an adult herself, she thought she understood why.

Jinenji was a giant soul—and a peaceful one. She always felt comforted and relaxed in his presence and found it enjoyable to talk with him. No one else—not even Kagome herself—understood Rin's passion for flowers and plants the way Jinenji did. And no one else was content to spend hours discussing those topics with her, either.

He always seemed pleased to have her visit. He would listen to her chat for hours about whatever was on her mind, but more often than not, she would prod him into talking about his garden, the herbs and flowers he tended, or Jinenji himself.

The more she learned, the more she liked. And now that she was eighteen, she knew what she wanted.

She wanted to be Jinenji's wife.

Rin wanted to marry him, cherish him, and have his children. She wanted to spend her life tending his garden side-by-side with him, teaching their children all about the plants and flowers they both found so interesting.

But no matter how much she hinted, no matter how hard she tried, Jinenji didn't seem to understand. She didn't think there was anyone else—he didn't even seem to realize Kagome was a woman, let alone act interested in her—but she didn't know how to reach him, either.

At a loss, she went to Kagome for advice, since Kagome spent the most time with Jinenji of all of Rin's friends.

"What's up, Rin?" Kagome asked, looking up from the herb patch she was weeding to smile gently at Rin. "It's only been a few days since your last visit. Is everyone okay?"

Everyone, Rin knew, mostly referred to Sango, Miroku, and their children, as well as Kaede, Kohaku, and Shippo, whenever he visited. Since InuYasha was often away yokai slaying, Kagome rarely bothered to ask how he was doing. "Everyone is fine, Lady Kagome," Rin said, striving to offer a smile that she hoped didn't betray her nerves.

What if Kagome said that Jinenji wasn't interested in Rin? Or worse, said Rin wasn't his type?

Rin swallowed nervously. "Can we talk somewhere more private, Lady Kagome?"

Kagome looked surprised but she recovered quickly, nodding as she brushed the dirt off of her hands before rising to her feet. "I need to refill these buckets but I could use a hand," she said, indicating the empty buckets next to her with a wave of her hand.

Rin took two in her hands and left the other two for Kagome to scoop up. She followed Kagome to the stream not far from the house, but far enough that Jinenji wouldn't be able to hear the conversation while he was inside the hut. Still, she had to make sure that Jinenji was inside. She'd be humiliated if he overheard them before she verified if he was, in fact, interested. "Is Jinenji inside?" she asked hesitantly.

Kagome looked up from the bucket she was filling with water. "He is," she confirmed, an odd expression on her face. "Why don't you tell me what's wrong, Rin? It's not like you to be so nervous."

Rin fidgeted as she tried to think of the best way to ask what she wanted to ask without sounding too desperate. After a moment, she blurted, "I think I'm in love with Jinenji."

Kagome pressed her lips together for a moment. "I see," she said, her lips quirking slightly as she nodded. "And I take it that he doesn't know."

Rin wrung her hands. "He doesn't understand at all, Lady Kagome!" she practically wailed. Now that she'd started, she couldn't seem to stop herself. "I've tried _everything_! I don't know what else to do. Do... Do you think he likes me, too? Maybe he doesn't," she added on a horrified whisper, hating how self-conscious she felt.

Kagome made a big production out of looking around before cupping her hand to whisper to Rin, "He has a big grin on his face whenever he hears that you've stopped by." She swapped her filled bucket for an empty one and began filling it. "Just last week, Jinenji was blending a tea for you to help boost your immune system because he thought you had been sniffling too much the last time you visited. You're very important to him, Rin."

Rin's face instantly heated at the insinuation. "I-I am?" she breathed, her heart beating too fast at the thought that Jinenji might feel the same way. "But then... Lady Kagome, I love him so much. I-I want to marry him."

There, she'd said it aloud, though she hardly believed she'd dared.

Kagome set aside another full bucket and reached for the third empty one to fill it up. "Rin," she said, her gaze never leaving Rin's own, "if you like him that much, why don't you just ask him to marry you?"

Rin blinked. Somehow, the thought of asking Jinenji herself had never crossed her mind. "Oh," she breathed, feeling a little faint. "D-do you think he'd agree?"

Kagome pressed her lips together for a moment. "If it's you, Rin, I think he just might," she said casually, setting aside the third bucket to fill the last one. "Sometimes, Rin, it doesn't hurt to be open about what you want. You just might get what you're looking for."

Rin opened her mouth and then shut it as she mulled over Kagome's words. After a moment, she nodded. "You're right," she said, feeling invigorated. She loved Jinenji and she wanted to marry him. If he really cared about her as much as Kagome thought, then she would be brave and tell him the truth. "I'm going to go tell him right now!"

And with that, Rin turned and ran off back towards Jinenji's hut. She simply couldn't wait a moment longer to tell him how she felt.

Kagome looked down at the four full buckets of water beside her and chuckled. She had the feeling that Rin was going to get her 'happily ever after' after all. _And Rin deserves it. Gods know the poor girl has had enough heartache, but Jinenji will protect and cherish that girl with everything he has._

She hummed 'here comes the bride' as she picked up two of the buckets and carried them back to the herb patch.

.

Rin raced towards the hut, uncaring that the bottom of her simple kimono had caught on one of his thorny herbs. She simply tore it free and kept going, unwilling to delay even a second longer. "Jinenji!" she bellowed excitedly, waving her hands.

Jinenji instantly came barreling out of the hut, a panicked look on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked in that soft voice of his, his blue eyes searching her body for any possible hint of injury or illness. "Where are you hurt?"

Her eyes widened at how panicked he seemed. _Kagome was right._ She inhaled sharply at the revelation. _He really_ does _like me._

"I'm fine, Jinenji." She held out her hands, hardly believing how daring she was as she placed them on his chest to prevent him from checking her over any further. "I'm not hurt," she was quick to add when he didn't seem convinced. "But I have something to tell you."

He froze beneath her fingers as she touched him for the first time, his eyes wide as he looked down at her. He didn't say anything at all—in fact, he seemed to be holding his breath.

She took a deep breath and then said in a rush, "I love you, Jinenji, and I want to marry you. D-do you love and want to marry me, too?"

Jinenji's eyes grew even rounder as he stared, a faint flush forming on his cheeks. He opened his mouth and shut it a few times as Rin grew more and more apprehensive.

_Was I wrong? Did I push him too far?_

"Of course he'll marry you." Suddenly, Jinenji's mother leaned out of the window of the hut. "Gods help my boy but he's a fool for you." She began cackling. "And I think you'll find that he takes after his father in the _best_ of ways," she added with a wink.

Jinenji flushed even harder as he swallowed. After a moment, he hesitantly said, "I-if that's what you want."

Rin grinned, her heart bursting with happiness at the tiny smile forming on Jinenji's face. "It is what I want," she assured him, ignoring how Jinenji's mother was practically crying with laughter as she made another raunchy comment about horses and men. "I want to spend the rest of my life right here with you."

She wished she was tall enough to cup his cheek but she wasn't. She wished she was tall enough to kiss him and show him how she felt, but she wasn't tall enough for that, either. After a moment, she gave in to the feelings welling up inside her and she breathed, "Kiss me, Jinenji?" It was half a question and half a plea.

He licked his dry lips as he blushed again. "I-I haven't kissed anyone before," he admitted in a small voice as his gaze dropped down to her lips.

Rin wanted to laugh with giddiness at the thought that he wanted to kiss her, too. "I haven't, either," she confessed, patting his chest gently. "We'll figure it out together."

As Jinenji slowly wrapped his large hands around her waist and lifted her so that her own blushing face met his, his mother shouted, "Don't worry, girl! He's a horse yokai—mating comes natural to them. Ahh, they're the best lovers you'll ever have!"

Rin pretended not to hear her as she closed the distance between them and gently pressed her lips to Jinenji's own. The kiss they shared was so sweet, so innocent, and so full of longing and yet, within moments, Jinenji deepened the kiss so naturally that she couldn't imagine anything feeling more right than this.

She sighed with happiness and threw her arms around his neck. They were going to live happily ever after; she just _knew _it.

.

Within the week, they were married, and Rin moved into the hut with the few possessions she owned—most of which were gifts from Sesshomaru himself. It seemed natural, the routine she settled into, helping Kagome and Jinenji in the garden while also working with Jinenji's mom to prepare the daily meals. Rin would often find edible flowers or herbs for the garden to hide in Jinenji's meal, taking great delight in waiting for him to find them as he ate and in the quiet happiness he exuded as soon as he located his 'prize.'

Jinenji, in turn, often hid little presents for her to find in the hut as she cleaned or cooked. Sometimes he simply left flowers, but more often than not, he left gifts like a new herbal tea he'd blended just for her, a satchel of potpourri he'd made from his own flowers, or flower wreaths or other small, crafted presents that must have taken him even longer, given the lack of dexterity he possessed in his large hands.

And she reveled in the simple joy of his love.

Jinenji let Rin set the pace of their relationship, never asking for more than she offered, and the chivalry he gave so effortlessly was so rare that she treasured their new love all the more.

She enjoyed sleeping beside him, cuddling with him, but after a few weeks, she began to desire more. She wanted children—_his_ children. But she didn't want to force him into anything and ruin this easy camaraderie between them—even if his mother regularly dropped comments about how she never heard them working on giving her grandbabies at night; comments that Rin tried her best not to blush and ignore whenever she heard them.

But it was on his human day that she realized how much Jinenji truly trusted her.

He had always remained hidden from her before their marriage, but for the first time, he silently took her away from the hut down to the stream at sunrise and let her see his other side. As his yokai features disappeared, she gasped in surprise.

The gentle man she loved, the one whose inner beauty was breathtaking, was also a truly handsome man. His yokai side was handsome in his own, gentle giant sort of manner, but she hadn't realized that he would look so beautiful as a human man.

His hair, long and black, draped to hang just below his shoulders, and his eyes were a stunning honey brown. He had a strong jaw, square and manly, and his physique showed the muscles and strength his yokai form possessed. His lips, full and soft, had her aching to trace them with her fingers.

He was still a large man, though it was due to a large, muscular build, than any hint of fat on him, but she couldn't fathom why he hid himself away. Why was he afraid of such beauty? Though in Rin's eyes, he was beautiful either way, her heart was pained at the thought that Jinenji didn't like this side of himself. He wouldn't even so much as glance at his reflection in the water beside him.

"You're handsome, Jinenji," she told him and she meant it. "But I love you no matter what you look like. You're simply beautiful because you _are_ Jinenji."

He flushed in quiet delight as he lifted her hand to press a small kiss in the palm of her hand. "You're beautiful, too, Rin," he whispered, his voice a little lower than it had been as a yokai. "I never dared to believe you would ever return my feelings..."

She lifted her free hand to gently stroke his chest, wishing she had some way of showing him how she felt. And then, after a moment, she flushed and realized there was one way she could. "Love me," she whispered, a little embarrassed to ask but she meant every word. "I want to be yours, Jinenji."

His eyes widened but he understood her meaning. He nodded as he led her to the blanket he'd spread out by the river, and gently shifted aside the breakfast she'd prepared for them so he could lay her down upon it.

Every touch he gave her that morning was full of his gentleness and love and after that morning, neither of them would ever doubt the other's feelings again.

.

Later, when Rin welcomed their son Jin to the world—a beautiful boy who took after his father's human's side good looks, much to Jinenji's relief, who had cried when he'd first seen his son's very human features—she'd spied the envious look on Kagome's face.

Kagome wasn't just envious of their beautiful boy, Rin realized, but of the gentle and loving relationship Jinenji and Rin enjoyed.

_She wants this, too,_ Rin realized, cuddling her newborn to her as Jinenji pulled them both into his loving embrace. His head tucked against her shoulder as he whispered how beautiful she was, how much he adored her, and how proud he was for delivering such a wonderful son.

Jinenji's hand gently patted his son as Jin began to nurse, and all the while, Kagome tried not to stare—and failed.

An odd thought crossed Rin's mind then. _Sesshomaru will be visiting soon. I sent word that I'd moved here and now that the baby is here, he'll be by to see Jin. _

Sesshomaru was lonely, too. He wouldn't say it aloud anymore than Kagome would, but Rin knew he was. He secretly desired a family as much as Kagome did and—Rin stopped as an idea came to her. Sesshomaru and Kagome.

She stared at the priestess eying the tiny newborn in her arms. _They would balance each other well, I think. She's so warm and kind but Sesshomaru would keep her safe and protect her from anyone who would harm her._

She mulled over the idea, recalling the odd looks Sesshomaru had given Kagome when he'd believed no one was watching. _I think he likes her but he's too proud to admit it_, she decided. _He'd never make the first move if he didn't believe he would succeed._

And Kagome would never make the first move, either, no matter what advice she'd given Rin almost a year before. Ever since her relationship with InuYasha had fallen apart, Kagome had been more reserved and cautious about a new romantic relationship.

They both deserve to be happy, she decided, even if they were too foolish to chase that happiness themselves.

So, Rin would have to _show_ the two of them what they could have together. She looked up at her mate with a quiet grin. Jinenji would help her because it would make her happy. His mother would probably help too, she realized, because his mother was, besides being the raunchiest woman alive, a diehard romantic.

Just then, Jin let go of her breast and squished his face together in a tiny cry. She immediately raised him, patting his back, as Kagome asked softly, "Can I hold him?"

As a plot began to form in Rin's mind, she handed her son over to Kagome after he'd burped.

"You're absolutely adorable; yes, you are," Kagome cooed, snuggling Jin to her bosom. "Who is the cutest baby in the world? You are!"

Rin chuckled quietly. "Jinenji, I have an idea," she whispered to her husband as he gave her an indulgent smile. "Will you help me?"

"Of course," he told her, not even bothering to ask what it was. His gaze shifted back to Kagome. "But don't you think she's holding Jin too tightly?" he added, a slight panic in his voice.

Rin laughed. "Jin's perfectly safe," she reassured her worried husband, though she was secretly glad to see how much he loved his newborn son. "Kagome's held babies before. He'll be fine."

Jinenji watched Kagome a moment longer and then blurted, "You don't think she's holding his head wrong, do you?"

"Men," Jinenji's mother snorted from the fireplace where she was making them all dinner. "They know how to make babies, but they sure don't know what to do with them when they come."

Jinenji flushed as Rin gave her husband a calming pat to the arm he'd wrapped around her. "She's holding him exactly right, darling."

He still looked a little uncertain though he nodded, giving into her judgment. "We should probably take him back, though," he added after a moment, the worry still evident in his tone. "I think Jin is hungry again."

And Rin, charmed by her husband's investment in their son, could only laugh as she watched her concerned husband keep a careful eye on their precious little son, her heart full of happiness and warmth in the love she'd found with the man who was absolutely and totally perfect for her.

_And soon_, she promised herself, _Kagome and Sesshomaru will have this happiness for themselves._


	2. Chapter 2

Sesshomaru eyed the child in Rin's arms. Though Rin had assured him the child more closely resembled Jinenji, her new husband, Sesshomaru himself could only see Rin in the child.

"The child is strong," he observed as Rin proudly showed the baby to him.

Rin grinned, the same impish grin she'd offered him when she was a child. "Jin's a good baby," she said, fussing with the boy's blanket. "Kagome said he's really healthy, too."

"Hnn."

The priestess in question was some distance away, checking on the herbs and flowers along with Rin's husband.

"Jinenji is a good husband and father," Rin continued, giving her husband an affectionate look. Sesshomaru himself was simply grateful that Rin had chosen a husband that had obviously cared so well for her and her child. Jinenji had showered Rin with gifts and flowers and not even the fact that they'd had guests had stopped his affectionate gestures.

"You know, I always thought you would marry and have kids first, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin added suddenly as she gently rocked her child as Jin stirred in her arms. "You seemed like such a natural."

The comment surprised him and he wondered if Rin had grown from a young child into an insightful young woman. The urges, so long buried within him, welled back to the surface, but the one they were directed towards was oblivious to them.

He couldn't completely stop his gaze from drifting back towards the priestess, though his expression gave nothing of his thoughts away.

"Lady Kagome is a natural, too," Rin added with a sly expression that he almost missed, his attention distracted as it was by the priestess.

"Hnn." So Rin _had_ seen more than he'd realized.

Rin suddenly placed her son in his arms. "Like this," she said, moving his hands so that he held the child correctly. "See? You're a natural. Can you watch him for a few minutes? Kagome is right over there if you need anything, but I need to talk to Jinenji for a moment."

She was already walking away from him before Sesshomaru recovered from his surprise but he made no effort to call her back. It felt right, holding a child in his arms, especially one that immediately cooed and babbled at him with a wide, gummy smile.

He offered the child a small smile as he curled his hands around Jin to cuddle the child into his chest. He would not require the priestess' aid when it came to the child, even though Jinenji and Rin were already walking off for what looked like a house call to one of the nearby huts in the surrounding village.

But...He recognized it for the opportunity it was and so, he stood, careful not to even so much as bump the child he carried, and made his way over to where the priestess was tending her herbs. "Priestess," he said after a moment when she showed no signs of acknowledging him.

He wasn't fooled, however. He could hear her increased heartache as he'd approached her.

"Hello, Sesshomaru." She brushed the dirt off her hands as she stood. Her gaze softened as she noticed the child in his arms. "Isn't he just the cutest little baby? Yes, you are, little Jin. You are the cutest little guy."

He sensed more than heard the needy ache in her voice as she spoke to the child.

"You desire a child as well," he observed, wanting to see how she would react to hearing her inner secret voice.

She licked her lips as he tried not to stare at the movement. "I do," she admitted quietly, a light flush blooming across her cheeks.

He waited, sensing that silence would be her undoing rather than asking her directly.

She shifted her weight and then finally blurted, "It's not going to happen, though. At least not any time soon." She sighed as she fidgeted with her sleeves. "I—well, there isn't anyone. To have babies with, I mean. Not that I want someone to _just_have babies with, of course, but obviously I can't have them by myself, either—"

"Priestess." He interrupted her rambling smoothly with a short wave of his hand. "Quiet."

Yet despite his harsh comment, he didn't see her rambling as a bad thing. It was charming, in a way, that she was so willing to share what she thought, given that such a thing was not a strength that Sesshomaru himself possessed.

She closed her mouth with another flush. "Sorry," she said after a moment. "I got used to justifying why I'm not seeing anyone, I guess."

Sesshomaru raised a brow as she laughed nervously. He could sense her heart race as he quietly admitted, "This one also desires a child."

Her eyes widened as she took in his words. She seemed to hold her breath for a moment and then said, "You do? I mean, well, you just seemed so young. I didn't realize that you were—well, that you would be—err, that you'd want children. I guess I thought you'd take over your father's role or something." She paused and then blurted, "_Oh_. You need an _heir_."

He was quick to disabuse her of that notion. "A heir is not necessary," he informed her, choosing his words carefully lest she misinterpret them. "A child of this one's own, however, is greatly desired."

"You want a family," she breathed out in understanding as he gave her a short nod in response. "I understand that feeling. That's all I wanted, too." Her eyes went wide as she seemed to realize how her words could be interpreted and she was quick to add, "Not that I'm saying I want one _with_ you, I mean—that is, I _do_ want a child of my own—well, actually, I want several, I think, but—"

The child in Sesshomaru's eyes let out a loud wail, instantly cutting off the priestess.

Sesshomaru instinctively began to rock the child soothingly as Kagome leaned forward to see what might be wrong with him. "He's probably hungry," she said after a moment. "He's settled into a fairly regular feeding schedule and Rin probably didn't feed him before she and Jinenji went off to—well, whatever they left to do."

A pungent scent wafted up to his nose, disputing the priestess' words about the child's needs—or at least disputing the order to take care of them. "He has soiled himself," he informed her and she immediately held out her hands expectantly, as though she didn't expect him to look after the child's needs himself.

Sesshomaru, to her blatant surprise, stepped away, taking the child with him directly into the hut so he could ensure the child was properly looked after in the most sanitary of conditions. He would not allow anything to befall Rin's firstborn, not if there was any way to avoid him. Kagome followed after him without a word, no doubt to ensure the child was properly looked after.

He snorted to himself. If she believed he was ill-equipped to care for a child, she was about to learn differently.

.

Rin peered out the window of their neighbor's hut, trying to keep both Sesshomaru and Kagome in her gaze. So far, everything seemed to be working according to plan, but what happened next would depend on her own mother-in-law carrying out her portion to ensure both Sesshomaru and Kagome realized how perfect they were for one another.

Assuming, of course, that Jinenji's mother was able to keep Jaken from interfering, since she'd taken it upon herself to keep the imp occupied so he couldn't interfere with their plans.

"How is Jin?" Jinenji fretted beside her. "Was that his cry we heard just now? Is he hungry? Sleepy? Rin, my flower, don't you think it's time we take him back?"

Rin placed a calming hand on her husband's forearm. "Don't worry, Jinenji. Lord Sesshomaru is very good with children," she soothed, "and Lady Kagome is there with him, too. Jin will be fine. Remember, we're doing this to help our friends, dear husband."

Jinenji lifted his free hand to cover his eyes. "I'm not going to look," he moaned as Rin chuckled, reminded once again how wonderful her husband was. Jinenji's love for their son was only eclipsed by the love he held for Rin herself.

"Shh, it will be okay." She gave him a reassuring smile. "We just need to wait here a little longer and it'll all work out exactly the way it's meant to."

.

Kagome hovered next to Sesshomaru as he set Jin down and with quick, efficient gestures, began the process of changing and replacing Jin's soiled feudal-era diaper. She was astonished to find that Sesshomaru was every bit as capable as he'd claimed with children, especially considering the fact that Jinenji'd had to have a lot of coaching and guidance before he fully understood childcare.

"You're a natural," she breathed as Sesshomaru once again cuddled a now clean Jin to him. Jin, now that he was clean, seemed to settle down, and stared up at the daiyokai who held him with rapt fascination.

"Hnn." One eyebrow raised as if to say 'I told you so.'

"Why have you never married?" she blurted, seeing the longing he didn't bother to hide as he looked down at the child in his arms.

He was silent for a moment and then admitted, "This one has already selected the mother of his children though she does not yet know it."

Kagome tried to picture what the woman—a yokai, no doubt, for she couldn't see Sesshomaru accepting any less when he'd made it a point to harass InuYasha about his own hanyo blood—who'd caught his eye would be like but struggled. In the end, she finally settled on an inuyokai like him, perhaps with similar coloring, who was similar to Sesshomaru himself in temperament.

Yet the image didn't seem right.

After a moment, she lamely replied, "Well, you're going to tell her, right? I mean, about marriage."

He stared at her for a long moment and then casually commented, "This one has not decided."

Kagome felt her irritation spark at that. "So you're just going to let her live her live without knowing that you'd like to marry her? That you want to have children with her? Gods, Sesshomaru, is she married? Dead? Not interested? Otherwise unavailable? If not, then why _wouldn't_ you say anything? How would she know unless you _tell_ her? For all you know, she could be secretly wanting the same thing."

Sesshomaru blinked at her and she guessed he was probably taken aback by the sudden lecture.

She licked her lips but couldn't bring herself to apologize. She might be horrible at listening to her own advice, but she knew good advice when she heard it.

Jinenji's mother startled them both by cackling—Kagome had honestly forgotten the older woman was in the hut with them, preparing a rice porridge for dinner. Jaken, conspicuously, was nowhere to be seen and Kagome suspected the older woman had sent him off on a fool's errand to get supplies for the meal.

"Give him too much credit, you do." She cackled again. "Yokai like him might be handsome but the predator yokai are rarely charming. Don't have it in 'em. But boy, do they know how to show a woman a fun time. He'll eat you right up if you know what I mean."

Kagome was afraid that she knew all too well what Jinenji's mother meant and flushed at the sudden mental picture that came to mind.

Sesshomaru's nostrils flared slightly and Kagome only hoped he wasn't able to scent the reaction that picture caused within her.

"Least this one has the sense on caring for a baby all proper like. You're a fool, priestess, if you let him get away." She clicked her tongue, stopping Kagome from the instinctive need to protest. "Don't think I don't see what's going on between you two. This hut's 'bout to catch on fire with the heat rolling off of you two. You should just leave the babe here and take him up on that offer. I bet that fur of his would be quite pleasurable to rub against. Why, if I were younger—"

"Woman," Sesshomaru interrupted, looking as discomforted by the topic as Kagome felt. "You will cease talking immediately."

"Hmph." The old woman clicked her tongue in disapproval. "His kind is known for liking control so if you want to set him off, try and take it from him." She winked.

Kagome blanched and then immediately flushed. "Well, Jin is clean now but he's hungry so we're just going to look for Rin," she said hastily, pulling on Sesshomaru's arm as she led him out of the hut.

"They like being bitten, too!" Jinenji's mother called after them. "Drives 'em wild, it does!"

Kagome pretended she didn't hear Jinenji's mother's parting remarks. "So that was awkward," she said, struggling to find something to say. "Um, how's Jin?"

His lip twitched for a moment. "The child is fine. He managed to doze off in spite of the noise."

"Well, that's good," Kagome replied lamely.

He stared at her for a moment and then said, "Come." He walked towards the stream and Kagome dutifully followed him. He settled down beside the bank, resting Jin carefully on his lap so his head would still be supported. "Why have you not wed?"

She floundered for a moment. "I already told you."

"No, you stated that you have not wed and did not desire a partner just for copulation so that you would bear a child. You have not stated why you have not sought such a partner yourself," he informed her as he gently ran his claws through the tufts of Jin's hair.

"Oh." Kagome replayed their conversation in her head and realized he was right.

"Is there no one you wish to wed?" he pressed, an odd look in his eyes.

Kagome decided he deserved honesty since he'd already given her the same. "Well, I wouldn't say that there isn't someone I'd _like_ to wed, if he was interested, but I doubt he would be." She personally couldn't see him being interested, even if he _would_ accept a human as his wife. She was not the best priestess to have ever lived and she couldn't see Sesshomaru settling for anything else than the best.

"The hanyo," he guessed, his lip curling.

Kagome blinked, taken aback. "No, not InuYasha. I do love him, but not like that."

"Then it is the wolf, yet he has already wed." Sesshomaru didn't seem as confident in this guess as he had been in his first.

Kagome pressed her lips together so she wouldn't laugh. She didn't think he'd appreciate it. "No, I've never romantically been interested in Koga."

Though he remained silent, his expression seemed to demand that she tell him who it was that she desired.

But Kagome couldn't bring herself to admit the truth to the very person she desired and so she remained silent, trying not to squirm as he silently pressed her for answers.

.

"They're just _sitting_ there," Rin griped from her window view. She knew their neighbor probably thought it was odd that she was staring out the window while Jinenji maintained the pretense of checking the neighbor's recent wound from his accident with his own hoe.

The neighbor was fine and his injury was healing well, but Rin hardly paid any attention to that.

"Fine," she said, clapping her hands together and startling her husband. "If they're not going to do it on their own, then I guess I'll force them to take the next step myself."

With that, Rin strode out of the hut with purpose, leaving her surprised husband no choice but to follow after her.

.

Sesshomaru found himself disappointed when Rin arrived to collect her son. Not only had he enjoyed the feeling of a child in his arms and the sense of power and love it brought him to know that such a tiny child would depend exclusively upon him for protection, but he had not gained the answers he sought, either.

And Sesshomaru himself would not make a move without being confident of his own success, not when the potential failure could be so catastrophic.

"Sorry about that," Rin said with an apologetic smile as she approached them, "but we needed to check on a neighbor and the herbal smells in the hut can be overwhelming for Jin right now." She stopped short and made a grand gesture of looking between Sesshomaru and Kagome. "You both take to it so naturally. I was just telling Jinenji how perfect you two would be together, wasn't I?"

Jinenji nodded and Sesshomaru began to suspect that all of this had been more than a simply ploy by Rin—it had all been an elaborate matchmaking ruse.

As she took her child from Sesshomaru, Rin added, "After all, you've both secretly desired each other forever. Oh, your children will be adorable, too!"

And with a big smile on her face, Rin headed towards her home, her husband following behind her.

Sesshomaru turned his attention back to Kagome, who had turned bright red. "I—she—well—"

"You desire this one," he said, more to confirm Rin's words. Rin was not the type to lie but he needed to be sure.

The priestess hesitated and then nodded, her gaze dropping to the ground. "I know that I'm not—"

"This one desires you as well." He reached out to caress her cheek, sighing internally at the pleasure of finally being able to touch her skin. "From the first moment you challenged him, he has been captivated by you, Kagome."

He heard her sharp intake of breath as she lifted her gaze back up to him, her expression hopeful. "You mean it?" she asked and though her words were cautious, her tone was excited. "You won't regret this?"

"Hnn." He gave her a slight nod and, as she grinned, he leaned in to place a gentle kiss to her lips to show her exactly how his heart felt for her—

"Well, it's about time," Jinenji's mother bellowed from the hut. "I was afraid we were going to have to slip something in your tea."

Both Sesshomaru and Kagome pretended they didn't hear her.


End file.
